Parthiban Kandasamy, a 38 years old senior government servant in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs passed away yesterday(30th October 2023) at 2.30 in the morning(Malaysian Time) while hiking at Gorak Shep towards Everest Base Camp. He was an Administrative and Diplomatic Officer which is best known as “Pegawai Tadbir Diplomatik” in Bahasa Melayu. Notably, he was also from the batch 05/06 of Universiti Malaya.
The incident occurred prior to reaching the Everest Base Camp, prompting his group of nine Malaysians to make the decision to abort the expedition. According to reports, Parthiban lost consciousness and required immediate medical attention, but sadly, he was declared deceased upon arrival at a clinic. It is suspected that his passing was a result of complications associated with altitude sickness.
Altitude sickness is a medical condition that occurs when the body struggles to acclimate to the reduced oxygen levels at higher altitudes. Commonly known as “mountain sickness,” it includes a variety of symptoms that can appear when an individual ascends to greater elevations too rapidly, whether by walking or climbing.
As per K. Saravanan a fellow member of his expedition team, it has been reported that Parthiban’s remains are presently situated in at Hospital Teaching, Kathmandu. It is expected that a post-mortem examination will be conducted today.
It has been said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been making necessary arrangements to bring back Parthiban’s remains as soon as possible. Parthiban was in the midst of his ninth day of a challenging 14-day expedition. The journey commenced on October 21 when he and his group departed from Malaysia. Yesterday morning, the group had originally planned to embark on the final phase of their expedition, heading towards the Everest Base Camp (EBC). It was supposed to be their final destination of their trip.
Parthiban, who was a bachelor with a strong passion for hiking, achieved a notable feat just last year when he successfully reached the summit of Mount Kinabalu. The family and friends of this young man remain shocked and struggling to accept his demise.
His passing has had a significant impact on the civil sector. His contributions and role within the civil service were substantial, making his loss deeply felt by colleagues and the broader sector. May his soul rest in peace!
Source: Wisma Putra Facebook
